


Trust

by MalcolmReynolds



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Guardian!Luka, Identity Reveal, Lukanette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26289328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MalcolmReynolds/pseuds/MalcolmReynolds
Summary: Ladybug is tired of trying to balance being the Guardian with being Ladybug, as well as being a teenage girl. It's a good thing she and her partner have found someone they can count on to become the new Guardian!
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 16
Kudos: 90
Collections: Miraculous Writer's Guild September Event 2020





	Trust

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt "Maybe this was a bad idea" in the ML Writer's Guild September Challenge (Pairing: Lukanette)

Luka was only half regretting the split-second decision that resulted in him inside the overflowing instrument closet at Jagged Stone’s recording studio, with Marinette’s body pressed up against his. On the one hand, he was a teenage boy, and as such, was very much enjoying the feel of the girl that he’d been in love with for almost a year and a half crushing her body against his, her hands fisted in the front of his hoodie where she’d yanked him into the closet after her; her breath hot on his neck from where her head rested. He could feel Marinette’s heart racing (or was that his?) as he kept his hands firmly settled at her waist. 

On the other hand, though, he’d originally pressed her into the closet to safely hide her from an akuma that had crashed through the front doors of the studio, while he went on to find somewhere to transform into Viperion; only for Marinette to grip his shirt, and in an equally protective move, tugged him in after her, in a move that had surprised them both. Now he was trapped, plastered against Marinette in the complete darkness, acutely aware of the rise and fall of her chest with each breath, fantasies spinning out as she whispered his name into his ear.

“Luka!”

He blinked out of his fantasy with a start, realizing that Marinette actually was saying his name. “I’m sorry, Marinette.”

“It’s fine, but Luka…” She trailed off, nervously, her hands no longer gripping his shirt, but making anxious little smoothing motions across the front of his shirt that were doing nothing for his ability to concentrate. Marinette’s voice dropped even lower, her lips practically brushing his ear. He heard her breathing hitch, and he was feeling none too steady himself, but her next words sobered him up like a bucket of ice water. “Don’t you need to go help Chat Noir and Ladybug?”

Her hand dropped from his chest to his wrist, lightly brushing the snake miraculous that he wore there, leaving no doubt to her meaning and the fact that she knew his identity. Shit, he thought to himself, groping for the doorknob, blinking in the dark. He was going to have to tell Ladybug. And exactly what was SHE going to say about the fact that he’d already been discovered. Luka sighed. 

Marinette’s lips slipped to his cheek, where she gave him a sweet kiss. “For luck,” she said as his thoughts scattered again. “Now go!”

Luka closed his eyes and breathed deeply, and although the breath smelled of cinnamon, vanilla, and a hint of peppermint shampoo, it calmed him. Taking another deep breath, he cautioned Marinette to close her eyes, and then called for his transformation. “Marinette.” His voice was soft, but clear, and held a slight edge of both fear and command. “Do not go anywhere, please. We’ll talk when I get back.” Viperion opened the door, and making sure the coast was clear, slipped out into the hallway. 

Once Luka was gone, Tikki appeared from Marinette’s purse, scolding her gently. “What were you thinking, pulling him into the closet with you? How were you expecting to transform? And how are you going to explain to him how you knew he was Viperion?”

Marinette sighed. “You know how we’ve been talking about appointing a new Guardian so I’m not doing double duty?” When Tikki hummed an affirmative, she continued, “Chat and I both agree that Luka would be a great choice. I may have just moved up the timetable of asking him.” Tugging on her pigtail, Marinette’s face began to crumble. “Maybe this was a bad idea. I know I shouldn’t have said anything right before he went to go fight.”

Tikki sighed. “I know, Marinette. As much as I know that you let your attraction to Luka get in the way of your decision just now… so maybe it is a good thing that he will be the guardian sooner rather than later. But for now, don’t you have a fight to get to?”

Calling for her transformation, Marinette slipped out of the closet to join Chat Noir and Viperion. 

After the akuma had been cleansed, and the three had shared a traditional fist bump, Viperion drew in a deep breath, and turned to Ladybug, only for her to cut him off by turning to Chat Noir. “It’s time.”

“Are you sure?” he inquired, as Ladybug nodded. 

Turning back to Viperion, who looked nervous and puzzled, Ladybug smiled at him and placed her hand on Viperion’s arm. “Chat and I would like to talk to you about something. Recharge and meet us at this address.” She tapped something into her yo-yo, and Viperion’s lyre vibrated with an incoming message. “Can you be there in 20 minutes?”

Viperion nodded. “I need to go check on a friend first, but…” 

“She can wait.” Ladybug cut him off. 

He didn’t like to disagree with her, but he really needed to check on Marinette, and talk to her about what she knew. He had no inkling that she’d known before, so he was fairly certain he could trust her… but part of him just wanted to make sure she was alright. “I’m sorry, Ladybug, but this is important.”

Chat Noir’s eyebrows rose. Viperion appeared agitated, very unlike the laidback snake. He reached out and placed his hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “She’ll be fine. Ladybug’s cure took care of everything.”

Luka sighed, knowing Marinette was fine, but worried about what she knew nevertheless. “OK. 20 minutes. I’ll recharge and make my way there.”

Ladybug smiled at him. “Thank you, Viperion.” 

When Luka arrived at the little Chinese store that stood at the address, he checked it out as he walked past, before transforming in an alley a block and a half down. The message waiting for him on his lyre instructed him to head to the roof of the store, and when he landed, he saw the small door propped open. Making his way inside, he saw Chat Noir lounging at a table, while Ladybug filled a pot full of a fragrant herbal tea. 

“Thank you for meeting us here, I know this is an odd request and an even stranger meeting place, but it felt like the right place.”

Chat Noir nodded, picking up the thread of the conversation where Ladybug had left off. “This was the old guardian’s home. He left it to me when he stepped down as guardian. He has no memory of this place, of the miraculous at all, so Ladybug and I use it as a safe spot to come, sometimes.”

“The old guardian handed the stewardship of the Miraculous, and of the miracle box over to me. He did it in the heat of battle, to protect our identities. I’ve been doing double duty, both as Ladybug and as Guardian for over half a year, and I cannot continue to do both. You were brought on as a permanent miraculous holder with the idea that we would like to make you the next Guardian of the Miracle Box.” Ladybug reached out and rested her hand on Viperion’s arm.

“Since she is giving it up willingly, and not under duress, Ladybug will not suffer any memory loss. She can train you as best she can, we both will, but please know that neither of us, nor the Guardian before us were fully trained. We’ve discussed the matter with our kwamis, and Ladybug has asked the opinion of the others. Sass recommended you, actually, and all the others agreed.” Chat reached up, rubbing the back of his neck at that.

“I know this is a lot to absorb.” Ladybug said comfortingly, her hand covering his. “And we don’t expect you to make the decision right away, but we were wondering if you were…”

“Yes.” Viperion was sure of his answer. “If I can help you and help keep Paris and my loved ones safe, I will do whatever you need me to.”

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other and smiled. “Thank you, Viperion. The previous Guardian knew both of our identities, as he gave us our Miraculous. While I have been Guardian, I have not known Chat’s identity, as that would cause an imbalance between us. We would like you to know, as well. Are you comfortable with this knowledge?”

Swallowing hard, Viperion nodded. 

“Then I’ll leave you boys to it. Viperion, I’ll visit you later.”

He nodded, mind reeling, with a thought of getting back to Marinette still niggling in the back of his mind. Deciding it would be better to talk to Ladybug about the situation when he saw her later, Viperion pushed his worry down, and focused his attention on Chat Noir, surprised to see that Ladybug had already left. 

Sensing Viperion’s hesitation, Chat reached over, placing a hand on the other boy’s shoulder. “It’s fine if you aren’t ready for this. I know we’re asking a lot. It’s a huge relief to me to see Ladybug willing to share some of the burden. I think you are the only one she was willing to share it with. It wasn’t something I could do, as we’d suffer the same imbalance in our partnership.”

Viperion shook his head. “It’s… a lot. I’m grateful for your faith in me, but I’m not sure if I’ve earned it.”

Chat Noir clapped him on the shoulder. “You have. Believe me. Are you ready?”

Unsure if he trusted his voice, Viperion nodded. 

Chuckling, Chat Noir’s hand came up to rub the back of his neck. “It’s funny. I always thought the first person I’d be doing this with would be Ladybug.” He sighed, then mumbled more to himself than Viperion. “It’s kinda like getting naked in front of someone else for the first time. You’ve just got to do it. Claws in.”

Eyes going wide at that last statement, Viperion quickly slammed them shut again as Chat’s softly spoken words caused a green light to shine. He opened them again, surprised to see Adrien standing there. Viperion wasn’t sure what to say, but he was very glad he was sitting down. 

Adrien didn’t seem unnerved by Viperion’s unblinking stare, instead he just froze, a half-smile plastered onto his face, letting the other boy process everything. Finally, Viperion blinked and nodded. His smile turning genuine, Adrien grinned at the older boy, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Alright then. I guess you know where to find me.” 

Viperion tried hard to keep his face placid, hiding the inner turmoil that he wasn’t sure that a month of meditation would help to calm his racing thoughts. He watched as Adrien waved to him, then shrugged, turning towards the front door, and letting himself out. Viperion dropped his transformation, and gathering up the teacups and pot, took them to the sink. 

Luka washed the cups on autopilot, using the mindless chore to help calm his thoughts, before leaving them on the sideboard to dry. He walked over to the front door, finding that it locked automatically, and glanced around the room to make sure he had not left anything behind. Seeing it empty, he walked through the front door and opted to skip the metro, and walk the half hour home, the cool air helping to clear his mind. 

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and Luka’s thoughts went back to Marinette. Guilt settled over him as he glanced at the screen. He’d missed several texts from Marinette. Nothing during the akuma attack, but judging by the time stamp, she’d texted him once she’d seen the cleansing ladybugs come through. The latest message was from just a few moments ago, and said that she’d packed up his guitar and taken it home with her and could bring it by his house later. 

Luka shook his head. It said a lot about his state of mind that he had completely forgotten about his guitar. He thanked Marinette, and offered to swing by and pick it up, but she told him she had something else for him and would bring it by later. As his stomach growled, Luka desperately hoped it was something edible. He thought about what he needed to say to Marinette and to Ladybug, realizing that he should probably talk things over with the heroine before he says anything to Marinette. 

A few minutes later, he stepped on board the Liberty, hurrying to his room to cradle his trusty old acoustic guitar, since Marinette still had his favorite electric. He let his mind flow with the music, his breaths were slow and steady and calming. Closing his eyes, Luka just let his worries flow out with the notes, fading to nothing as the breeze caught them, and whipped them away. 

Eventually Luka sat up, hearing footsteps on the deck above. Both his mother and Juleka were out for the night, so he fully expected it to be Ladybug. He had just laid down his guitar when a hesitant knock came on the door. He opened it to see Marinette, smile bright, but posture nervous, with his guitar case slung over her back, and a large picnic basket in her hands. 

Luka reached for the picnic basket, looking to relieve her of some of her burden. Marinette’s grip on the handle momentarily tightened before she let him slide the basket from her hand. Her eyes followed the basket closely as he placed it beside his bed, before turning back to her. Marinette slid the guitar off of her shoulder, holding the case out to him. She looked more nervous than she ever had since that very first day she stepped into his life.

After settling the guitar into its normal spot, Luka turned back to Marinette, and waited, quietly. He sat down on his bed, back against the wall, sliding the guitar he’d been playing into the stand by the porthole. Patting the comforter next to him, he invited Marinette to come and sit next to him. She did, but surprised him by snagging the picnic basket on her way over, and setting it in her lap, fiddling with the tie that held the top flap shut. 

Untying it, she lifted the lid barely high enough to pull out a slim bakery box and set it aside. Breathing in deeply, Marinette clenched her hands on the sides of the basket, before letting the breath out and passing it to Luka. “I’m sorry.”

The whispered words were the first that Marinette had said since setting foot on the Liberty. Marinette smiled up at him, her will visibly strengthening, her smile wobbly but genuine. “Thank you.” 

He shot her a confused look, but she just indicated the basket that was now sitting in his lap, and told him to open it. Luka noticed the nervous way that Marinette was wringing her hands, and fear seeped cold fingers into his belly. He smiled warmly at Marinette and lifted the lid of the basket. After removing the blanket that lay across the top, he stared, uncomprehending at the large but light object that sat nestled there. 

Bright red with gold-ringed black spots, resembling nothing so much as a giant egg, Luka’s hand hovered over the object as he turned to Marinette, brow furrowed, eyes questioning. 

Taking a deep breath, a smile quirking the corners of her mouth up, Marinette met his gaze. “Luka Couffaine, I am entrusting you with guardianship of the Miracle Box. I will work with you to the best of my ability, but you will be responsible for guarding its secrets. Do you accept?”

Luka could barely breathe. “Yes.” The word felt like it was dragged from him. Ladybug was Marinette. Marinette was Ladybug. A thought fluttered through his mind. How did he not know, not realize, but he brushed it aside as the egg began to glow. It hovered in the air, rotating between them, before morphing, in a bright flash of light, into a slightly battered guitar case. 

Luka’s thoughts were whirling as he looked between the guitar case that had gently drifted into his lap, and Marinette. Marinette looked at him with wide eyes as she gently reached out a hand and stroked down the side to the clasp. Flicking it open, her hand gently drew back the lid. Luka gasped as he saw all the miraculous nestled there, with five empty spots. Marinette pointed them out. “Ladybug. Black cat. Butterfly. Peacock. Snake.”

Her eyes shot up to Luka’s, huge and round, and a giggle escaped her lips. “I didn’t forget! Oh, Luka! I didn’t forget you!” Her sapphire eyes filled with unshed tears, and she flung her arms around his neck. 

Maneuvering the Miracle Box to the side, and managing to close and latch it one handed, Luka immediately wrapped the other around Marinette, rubbing her back soothingly. “What do you mean, didn’t forget?”

The tears spilled down her cheeks as she more fully explained what had happened with the last guardian, that he hadn’t just lost his memory of the miraculous holders, but of all the events of his life. “I was so scared.” Marinette sobbed into his shirt. “Of all the people I didn’t want to forget, losing you scared me the most.”

Luka just sat there, both arms wrapped around the girl who he now, somehow, had cradled in his lap. “I’m here for you, Marinette. Now and always. Don’t be afraid.”

Marinette lifted her head from his shoulder, her hand sliding to cup his cheek. His name was a whisper from her lips, and as she leaned towards him, Luka’s mind went blank. Her lips brushing his was like a jolt of electricity to his system; his arms tightened around her, and he kissed her back, gently, wonderingly, like she was something precious that he was finally allowed to touch. 

Their lips parted and Luka just blinked at her, unsure which confirmation of her trust that she had given him tonight was greater: sharing the burden of her secret life with him, or sharing her heart.


End file.
